A pulse survey is a short, frequent survey used to check in on how employees are feeling, instead of relying on one long annual survey.
A pulse survey is brief by design, often a handful of questions sent every week, month, or quarter. The point is to catch shifts in mood and experience quickly, while there is still time to act.
Compared with a single annual survey, pulses give you a live signal and much higher response rates because they take seconds to complete. They are especially useful at key moments, like after onboarding or a big change, to see how people are really doing.